Prime Minister Jüri Ratas recognised the State Reform Foundation for their reform package and stated that the state along with its objectives and activities needs constant analysis.

According to Ratas, the State Reform Foundation is presenting their proposals in a constructive and balanced manner. "Their goal has definitely not been providing a single correct solution, but rather rousing a discussion and drawing attention to shortcomings. Proper discussions are what give the proposals their true value and bring us to a suitable solution," Ratas said at the conference.

 According to the Prime Minister, many proposals of the Foundation are based on the fact that Estonia's ageing and decreasing population is unable to support a state of this financial magnitude in the long term. "I am convinced that the conception of state reform along with relevant proposals must be directed to changing this tendency, not only to adapting with the circumstances," Ratas said.

Ratas pointed out that the state budget, for example, must be subjected to an extensive audit that would critically examine all sources of income and expenses. "We must unitedly determine the fields that need the most additional funding and support. A thorough scan of the budget will show the resources saved up out of habit that are crucially needed elsewhere, as well as a more efficient use of our common resources," Ratas said.

The Prime Minister assured that the state needs to be constantly analysed to find all positions of duplication, exhausted goals, or substitute activities. "We must also make clear which services our people really need from the state and which would be better suited for the private sector," he said.

Ratas finds one of the most important challenges to be the issue of population and returning to a state of population increase; this was also addressed by several state reform proposals. The Prime Minister supports the idea presented in proposals that local governments must be worthy partners to the state.

Ratas also stressed the importance of one of the principal ideas of the state reform: establishing a long-term development strategy for Estonia. According to him, the government already initiated the establishment of the Estonia 2035 strategy. "The discussions and analysis that we conduct must result in an agreement that allows us to direct the country in a way which guarantees an evolved and independent society by 2035 that would also be a good living environment. The Republic of Estonia has to be an elite, but not elitist," he said.

Photographs of the event (Erik Peinar, Riigikogu): https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2punv0bifzheufg/AABW10dMWRhO4ZT4aZxJz9nfa?dl=0